Abstract: A system and method which displays a graphical icon, such as a slider bar, on a subscriber's television or display unit for indexing to different positions in a video stream in an interactive video delivery system. The interactive video delivery system preferably comprises at least one media server which stores one or more video streams, and one or more subscribers which each include a display device, such as a television. The television displays a slider bar or other graphical icon, and the slider bar is used to index to different locations in the video stream. During video delivery, the user may use or adjust a knob on the slider bar, preferably using a remote control device, to indicate a desire to "jump" to a different location in the movie or video stream. The media server receives the slider bar user input from the subscriber device and begins outputting the normal play stream at the desired position.

Abstract: Primary memory access times are improved through an efficient technique of aborting and restarting primary memory accesses. A central processing unit of a computer includes an external cache controller to selectively generate an external cache free signal and an external cache busy signal. The central processing unit also includes a primary memory controller with an abort buffer. The primary memory controller includes circuitry to abort a primary memory access in response to the external cache busy signal. The data segment retrieved prior to aborting the primary memory access is stored in the abort buffer. The primary memory controller restarts the primary memory access in response to the external cache free signal. The restarting operation results in the data segment being passed to the external cache controller. Thereafter, the remaining data associated with the primary memory access is retrieved and sent to the external cache controller.

Abstract: A dynamic flip-flop includes a first input latch coupled to receive a data input signal and a second input latch coupled to receive the complement of the data put signal. The first and second input latches have first and second shutoff circuits, respectively. During a precharge phase, the first and second input latches each provide an output signal of a first logic level. During an evaluation phase, the first and second input latches sample the data input signal and complemented data input signal, respectively. In response to the samples of true and the complement of the data input signal, one input latch's output signal will transition to a second logic level, while the other input latch's output signal will remain at the first logic level. A first output latch and a second output latch are coupled to receive the output signals of the first and second input latches, respectively. The first and second output latches are inverting.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product of especial utility in allowing a user to insert a diagnostic computer program probe into an operating application computer program to either obtain a readout concerning the state of the application program or to introduce new behavior into it such that the results can be monitored. Through the provision of a number of application computer program probe points and corresponding diagnostic computer program probes herein disclosed, the invention may be utilized in conjunction with an operational application program and the corresponding diagnostic program may be developed independently of the application program the behavior of which is to be diagnosed.

Abstract: A method for managing resources in a computer system. According to one embodiment of the invention, a resource manager receives a first request of a first operation. The first request identifies a first resource and specifies an amount of the first resource needed to execute the first operation. In response, a resource manager determines if the amount of the first resource requested by the first request is available to be reserved. In response to the amount of the first resource requested by the first request being available to be reserved, the resource manager reserves the amount of the first resource requested by the first request in advance of allocating the first resource to the first operation.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method retrieves a web file and sorts one or more information element references according to a priority attribute associated with each reference. After ranking the information element references by priority, the method then retrieves each information element in the order that their references were ranked. After receiving an information element, a user acts upon the information element in the appropriate manner. Typical objects, and their actions, would include displaying an image file, executing an applet, or playing an audio file. By using the steps of the preferred method, more important objects are retrieved before less important objects, thus allowing the user to act upon the more important objects sooner than the user could have acted on the important objects using methods available in the prior art.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for a client/server computing system having an optimized log file system for replaying client disconnect write operations to a server when the server becomes available to the client. Data in the unauthorized disconnect write operations to a target file at the client are prevented from being copied to the server when the server becomes available. When there is a write request for a target file at the client, and the client detects the target file has already been written, the credentials with the write request are compared to the store credentials from a previous write to the same target file. If the request credentials are the same as the stored credentials, data from the write request is written to the target file effectively adding more data to the target file. If the request credentials are not the same as the stored credentials the write request is suspended at the client.

Abstract: A system and method for providing annotation overlays from diverse sources of commentary for World-Wide Web documents is disclosed. Sources of commentary contribute annotation overlays regarding particular documents on the World-Wide Web. The annotation overlays from a particular source are stored on one or more overlay servers, which are connected to the Web. A user of a Web browser opens an annotation proxy server between the Web browser and the Web servers that intercepts all documents retrieved by the Web browser and merges with the retrieved documents commentary from sources designated by the user of the Web browser that refer to the requested documents. Multiple annotation overlay proxies can be serially connected. The annotation proxy can perform the merge operation by first creating a local annotation directory of annotation overlays from sources designated by the user then, when the user requests a document, merging with the requested document information only from the annotation directory.

Abstract: An automated configuration system and method configures home network client computers, including determining local service provider information, without any user assistance. The distributed computer network includes network home client computers and at least one autoconfiguration server. When the home network client computer is powered on it determines whether it possesses the requisite configuration information. If not, the home network client computer sends a configuration request along with client computer identifying information to the autoconfiguration server. The autoconfiguration server uses the client identifying information to determine a local service provider information and client computer specific data. The autoconfiguration server determines the local service provider information by looking up a directory of local service providers, the directory being stored on the autoconfiguration server or on another server.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process scheduler or dispatcher for a multiprocessor system for real time applications. This embodiment of the present invention proposes a dispatcher model that maintains a dispatch queue for each processor and a separate global dispatch queue for unbound higher priority real time threads. A processor has its own queue and a dispatcher. Each queue has a separate schedule lock associated with it to protect scheduling operations. A processor's dispatcher selects a thread for execution from one of the queues in the system as a candidate thread to execute. When a candidate thread is selected for execution, the processor proceeds to verify against threads in the global real time queue and the processor's own dispatch queue to select a highest priority runnable thread in the system. Thus, the present invention allows the dispatcher to prevent race conditions and minimize lock contention while assuring that high-priority threads are dispatched as quickly as possible.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed to simplify a computer user's handling of electronic mail messages. The invention provides the computer user with a mechanism for ignoring a particular ongoing e-mail discussion until that ongoing discussion terminates.

Abstract: A 3-D graphics accelerator which includes a command block or preprocessor, a plurality of floating point processors or blocks, and one or more draw processors or blocks. The 3-D graphics accelerator includes a plurality of direct data channels or point-to-point buses which connect the command preprocessor to each of the plurality of floating point processors. The 3-D graphics accelerator also includes a plurality of direct data channels or point-to-point buses which connect the plurality of floating point processors to each of the draw processors. These direct data channels or point-to-point buses provide data transfer throughput similar to prior art designs with improved electrical performance. The plurality of direct data channels or point-to-point buses enables smaller data paths, e.g., 8 bit data paths, while providing similar bandwidth to prior art shared bus designs. The use of these smaller direct data paths also provides better electrical characteristics for the graphical architecture.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for "checking the use of synchronization locks in a multi-threaded computer program" (hereinafter "WARLOCK II"). In Warlock II a set of source code representing a process which includes multiple threads may be annotated by the developer using a "NOTE" macro to describe the desired operation of the locks. This annotated source code is passed to a modified ANSI C compiler which outputs a special file designated a ".ll" file, as for example, file "foo.ll". This special ".ll" file is then processed as input along with other designated ".ll" files which might be related, by a "wlanalyze" program which will check the source code of the target programs in the ".ll" files to determine whether their use of synchronization locks is consistent with the intended use as specified in the annotations.

Abstract: An integrated digital light modulator. In one embodiment, a light beam is split into a set of binary weighted beams which are then individually switched on or off by an optical switch. The weighted beams which are conveyed by the optical switches are then recombined to produce a modulated beam. In this manner, a fast inexpensive integrated digital light modulator may be advantageously obtained. Broadly speaking, the present invention contemplates a digital optical power modulator that comprises a binary power divider and an optical modulator. The binary power divider is configured to receive an input light beam and split it into a set of weighted beams. The optical powers of the weighted beams are related in that the ratio of the optical powers of any two weighted beams is substantially an integer power of two. The optical modulator receives the set of weighted beams from the binary power divider and receives a digital signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for allowing communications to a target host on a network to be upgraded from a non-secured session to a secured session. The apparatus including a processor; a memory coupled to the processor and storing an access control list; and a network interface coupled to the processor, the network interface communicating with a target host; wherein the memory is configured to cause the processor to: (1) create an access control entry for the target host in the access control list; (2) exchange security information with the target host; (3) update the entry for the target host to include the security information; and, (4) communicate with said target host using said security information.

Abstract: Digital multiprocessor methods and apparatus comprise a plurality of processors, including a first processor for normally processing an instruction stream including instructions from a first instruction source. At least one of the processors can transmit inserted-instructions to the first processor. Inserted-instructions are executed by the first processor in the same manner as, and without affecting the sequence of, instructions from the first instruction source. The first instruction source can be a memory element, including an instruction cache element for storing digital values representative of instructions and program steps, or an execution unit (CEU) which asserts signals to the instruction cache element to cause instructions to be transmitted to the CEU. The processors include input/output (I/O) processors having direct memory access (DMA) insert elements, which respond to a peripheral device to generate DMA inserted-instructions.

Abstract: A computer system includes a information type source file, an information value file and a dynamic dialog box processor. The information type source file includes a plurality of text entries in, for example, ASCII text form, which can be easily edited by an operator. The information value file includes a plurality of value entries each for storing a value used in other processing by the computer system. The dynamic dialog box processor uses the text entries from the information type source file to generate a dialog box for display to an operator, and receives information values provided by an operator in connection with respective information text entries to update the values in the value entries in the information value file. Since the ASCII text entries in the information type source file can be easily edited, the particular types of information to be provided through the dynamic dialog box can be easily modified by the operator with a minimum of programming and debugging effort.

Abstract: An application binary interface includes linkage structures for interfacing a binary application program to a digital computer. A function in a relocatable shared object module obtains the absolute address of a Global Offset Table (GOT) in the module using relative branch and link instructions through the computer's link register. The GOT contains addresses of global data such as constants and variables that are identified by symbols and are located outside the module. Implementation requires only three simple instructions, one in the GOT and two in the calling function. The module can load the absolute address of a data item into appropriate registers and read or write the data from memory using a conventional RISC relative address read or write instruction.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for generating test packets to be used in developing network protocol devices. According to the method of the invention, a first computer system is provided that includes a packet shell generation facility. The packet generation facility includes a generic command language interface mechanism and a packet management function generator. Using the packet shell generation facility test packets are generated for use in testing various aspects of network protocol devices.

Abstract: In a distributed computer system, an automated document annotation system and method adds hypertext cross-references to a set of known information sources into documents requested by a client computer in such a way that the merged document is displayable by existing Web browsers. The distributed computer network incorporates a plurality of servers to store documents. Each stored document has a unique document identifier and is viewable from a client computer having a browser configured to request and receive documents over the network. An annotation proxy, which is a software procedure configured to merge a requested document from a first server with hypertext links to documents containing associated supplemental information. The set of hypertext links and criteria for identifying where such links should be added to requested documents are defined by one or more dictionaries of cross-references.